User reviews

From the first scene you feel attracted to this charming, moving, dramatic story. The plot flows smoothly, the acting is magnificent, the scenery is breathtaking... I am on Ch 10 and loving every minute of it.

This series is gripping from beginning to end (despite a lengthy 16 instalments!). Most of the acting is fantastic, especially from the more veteran actors (who make up for some of the bad child acting, which of course is excusable given the age). Do not think I have ever cried as much, as watching this. Anyone with an inkling of empathy, will not remain unmoved after seeing this incredible production.

Wonderful scenery and acting. Portrays life in Russia before and during WWII.

This is a weak Russian Saga, done in the style of a Soap Opera, with a childish script and some seriously bad acting. The star of the series is the sweeping landscape of the Russian countryside. It's a series to put in your streaming queue, one that you can watch intermittently when there is nothing else to binge on. You wont miss anything that way as it moves really slowly.

I got in to watching a few Russian Dramas almost by accident when I watched a WW2 film & had recommended/"You may also like" come up on Amazon/You tube Ancestral Land was absolutely brilliant, Superb screen play, Acting, Dramatic music etc ... it had the lot. You end up really rooting for the characters and hoping they survive, as mentioned by another reviewer there is wonderful scenery, gritty tense stories and just about everything you could watch in a superb drama Take plenty of time out to watch this as 16 episodes of around 55mins but most definitely worth watching.

Have not seen this kind of commie propaganda since force watching in college. yikes praising the peasant lifestyle

Great Russian landscape and village life and images. Heart rendering depiction of Russian suffering and German evil in WW II. Like many Russian stories full of pathos and grief. Cast is uniformly superb. They really had their hearts into it.

Thanks to YouTube I have seen this incredibly well filmed series. The first half works for me the best, as it deals with a family farming against all odds preceding WW2 and during the Communist period of Russian history. I will not add to the spoilers of the synopsis but simply to say that it is one of the most gruelling, and yet uplifting scenarios I have seen for a long time. Cut to basics it concentrates in the main upon the four children of the Morosov family, from grandparents to parents and four children. Two boys and two girls; one boy grows to become a doctor while the other played in manhood excellently by Yuriy Borisov is made lame by a falling tree, but fights back at life despite all obstacles including his passionate love for his twin sister. This tight cobweb of relationships is at times worthy of a Dostoyevsky novel. With shades of ' The Brothers Karamazov ' in some of it and very human joys and degradations of his other work. Incest, terrible beatings of men and women, initiated by men is often hard to watch, and the camera is unflinching in detail without resorting to sensationalism. I almost lost count but the War episodes begin just before the second part of the allotted 14 hours viewing time. The brutality there is equally portrayed but does not reach the heights of Klimov's terrifying ' Come and See ' or Shepitko's ' The Ascent ' both towering masterpieces of Soviet cinema. This is no criticism. Given the format of the series how could they be ? But very, very good this series is and deserves a full ten for being mature, thoughtful and the scenes of love and tenderness are overwhelming. I urge anyone to watch this as we are going through difficult times and this series shows above all else that we can do very little to avoid the historical circumstances we are living through, and are born to at times embrace and at other times endure.

It's an amazing and gripping film.

A wonderful family story with many beautiful and heartwarming scenes, as well as harrowing and heartbreaking scenes too.

A great screen play. Gorgeous cinematography. Fantastic acting. Not a huge amount of dialogue which is easy for those, like me, who need English translation via subtitles which are great, just right.

A great film the cast and crew can be very proud of.